When our flowers have faded and the leaves have fallen, its time for the workhorses of the garden to start performing. These include the evergreens, the conifers, and the plants with other points of interest, including attractive bark and sparkling, colourful berries. In this blog post, we'll show case some of the best plants with attractive berries for your fall and winter garden.

As we've also focused on Holly this month, we won't discuss those plants in this article even though they offer fantastic winter interest with their colourful evergreen foliage and their colourful red berries.

Wintergreen

Gaultheria procumbens

Wintergreen is a colourful, low growing groundcover shrub with bright red berries that appear in the late fall and winter. Gaultheria procumbens is an excellent groundcover for acidic soils. It produces a dense mat of glossy dark green leaves that brighten with a redish hue in the fall. White to Pale Pink flowers appear in June followed by bright red berries. While we would advise eating them, the berries have a distinct peppermint, wintergreen-fresh taste, but are rather pithy and inedible. Foliage is evergreen and retains its colour year round. It is best grown in part sun to part shade in semi-moist, but well drained soils. Mature plants will usually grow to 12 inches tall and up to 36 inches across.

Female Japanese Skimmia

Skimmia japonica Female

Skimmia are a classic evergreen shrub for fall and winter interest. Glossy green foliage is accented by white blooms in the spring and on female plants, red, holly-like berries appear in autumn and winter. Skimmia come in female and male varieties. The females will produce the berry as long as at least one male skimmia is planted in the area. It is a great plant for full to part sun and is an excellent plant for the seaside. Water regularly as needed. Grows up to 2-5ft wide and 3-6ft across. Hardy in zones 7-9.

Profusion Beauty Berry

Callicarpa bodinieri 'Profusion'

Beauty Berry is a superb deciduous shrub valued for display of abundant clusters of long lasting violet berries along branches in fall. Berries are attractive to birds and can really add interest to an otherwise bare garden. New leaf growth has exciting bronze tinge. Small purplish pink flowers appear in summer amongst the large green leaves. Prune in late winter to early spring to encourage new growth. Ideal for use as a specimen, in a border or as a mass planting. Moderate growing to 6-8ft tall and wide. Best when planted in full sun. Hardy in USDA zones 5-8.

Brandywine Viburnum

Viburnum nudum 'Bulk' / Witherod Viburnum

Brandywine Viburnum is a relative newcomer and provides a truly spectacular display of fall colour. Abundant green berries transform to vivid pink and blue, contrasting with the wine-coloured fall foliage. Deer resistant. Is an excellent addition to mixed borders. This viburnum prefers moist, but well drained soil. Prune after flowering if needed. Grows 5-6ft tall and wide at maturity. Hardy in USDA zones 5-9.

Scarlet Pearl Snowberry

Symphoricarpos 'Scarlet Pearl'

This delightful pseudo-native plant features light pink blooms in summer followed by a vigorous crop of large pink fruit beginning in fall, becoming especially showy on otherwise bare branches in winter. Plant where berries can be enjoyed from the indoors. Cut fruiting stems can last up to 2 weeks in floral arrangements. Scarlet Pearl is a perfect plant for spicing up northern native plant landscapes and wild garden woodlands. Deciduous. Prefers to be planted in full to part sun in moist soils. Grows up to 4ft tall and wide and hardy in USDA zones 3-7.

As always, please call ahead, 604.882.1201, to confirm availability if you are making a special trip for one of these plants. Our selection is always changing and availability may be limited on some varieties.

Parney's Cotoneaster

Cotoneaster lacteus

This large evergreen shrub produces attractive balls of white flowers followed by showy red berries. It's an excellent plant the back of a border or in a garden setting. Leaves are large and dark green in colour. can be pruned as needed. Prefers to be planted in full sun and any moist, but well drained soils. Grows 6-12ft high and equally as wide. Hardy to zone 6.

Rebecca van der Zalm

Rebecca is an owner and the ‘Plant Boss’ of Art’s Nursery Garden & Home, a large family owned garden centre in Surrey. Fueled by her passion for plants and the occasional grande vanilla latte, Rebecca strives to share her love of gardening at every opportunity. The goal: to offer more service, more selection and more fun.

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Art's Nursery is a 10+ acre retail and wholesale garden centre located in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. We've been in business at this same location since 1973 and we're proud to serve you today!

We carry an incredible selection of plants, shrubs, trees, annuals, perennials, vines, groundcovers, roses and much more. Soils, bulk materials, pottery and a variety of garden accents are also available.

Our plant selection is so large that you can actually drive a golf cart while you shop!

We pride ourselves on providing high quality plant, expert advice and an exceptional gardening experience.